We constantly get hit with a slew of subpar ghost movies. I know, I'm a huge sucker for horror movies about ghosts. However in the past few years we've been hit with a pretty impressive group of horror films, the Insidious films included.
Some are kinda weak and boring. They really aren't worth your time unless you're a devout Horror fan.
Ex.
Some are still pretty crappy but are still fairly fun anyway. Worth the watch if you just wanna see a few good scares.
Ex.
Ex.
Every blue moon, a choice few that cross that line and become truly amazing and some even deconstruct the genre or dealing with issues so much larger than your average horror film.
Ex.
Ex.
And some that are just good old fashioned Horror goodness. Solid movies with great scares. The sort of films you want to show your friends.
Ex.
So where does this summer's horror duo come into play.
Poltergeist is a remake of a classic horror film.
The credited director is Tobe Hooper.... buuuuut really it was directed by Steven Spielberg.
So before we go any further we have to go in knowing that this isn't going to be as good as the original.
That said it's above average but more or less forgettable. Don't get me wrong it's worth the watch but if there was no original poltergeist and this film stood on it's own I doubt it would get as much Press as it did.
The movie still gets a lot right. It builds the characters of the family and lets you know them as people and you're honestly concerned about them. Sam Rockwell is clearly giving it his all, bringing so much character to a role that would have never come through with a lessor actor. I also thought it was interesting that it spent more time developing the character of the little brother as well as the Ghost Expert they call in. I also like that they invented new scares and put them in different places because the movie is smart enough to know that we've mostly likely seen the original.
The downside is it feels like this movie is rushing. Because it follows the beats of the original I kept comparing it to that, and 80's horror movies has such a different pace then modern horror. We like cheap thrills, get us in, make us scream, get us out. The original movie, much like Jaws, Jurassic Park, The Exorcist, or Halloween, is a slow burn and focuses on ambiance and storytelling. They focus on being more thrilling than scary. This movie feels pretty rushed at points.
Overall it's a good watch. But trust me you have to view it as a separate film and it's own thing. It has some solid scares, and is a fun horror film. It's absolutely worth a rental.
Now speaking of things that take liberally from the OG Poltergeist.
If we're talking spiritual successor to Poltergeist. I think the original Insidious was probably the best evolution of that story. And while some people hated it, I thought Insidious 2 was a fantastic sequel.
But what about the 3rd film in the franchise.
I'm a huge fan of this mythology, especially its theme music. Seriously it's like a violin is moaning in agony. Try listening to this alone in the Dark.
This movie us fun, but it's unfortunately a shadow of it's previous two films but it's still very creepy. It sets up great ambiance and it's terrifying at points. What I love about these films is that they do so much with so little.
They don't use huge CG effects, or smoke monsters or anything. They just flash an image of a man standing in the corner or the sounds of footsteps when someone thinks their alone. It's incredibly effective what you can do with lighting, shadows, and skulking dark figures.
This story is a prequel involving one of the strongest parts of the series, Elise played by Lin Shaye.
Elise is the spiritual expert. She acts as a guide to the main characters in the first two films. She acts as a sort or ray of sunshine when the family is in a really dark place. You just have to love her character, she's so dedicated and nobel yet so approachable and charismatic.
At this point in her life she's given up being a medium because it's just getting too dangerous for her. And I'm guessing in an attempt to build on their audience they introduce... cute teenagers!!!
Stephanie Scott plays Quinn, a young girl who tries to make contact with her recently past mother. Though she wanted to reach her mother, something else, something evil responds.
While the movie had some great ambiance and scary moments, it also drags at points as well. It doesn't stand alone as well as the first two did, and it could have used more Lin Shaye!!!
Both Stephanie and her father (Dermot Mulroney) do a great job in the movie but they don't have enough to do.
Also the new threat isn't quite as well rounded as the other threats from past movies. All three movies prominently feature The Black Bride.
A malevolent spirit they refer to as a parasite.
And then there's the Lipstick Face Demon
Who was the main threat in the first and was hinted at in the other two.
Both of these characters were more interesting and scarier than the new one.
To be honest the creature in this one is pretty terrifying in the beginning of the film, but without giving too much away the ending of the film kinda defuses him as a threat. Personally, as scary as a ghost is, demons are just more threatening to me.
I think that if they're going to do more films they should consider deepening the mythology. Who says it's just ghosts and demons in the further. What if there are even more insidious things lurking out there.
This film was a step above most horror flicks because of the specific Insidious style, and because I love the series. But outside of that, its not a super memorable ghost story. It's absolutely worth the watch and it's fun, but it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors.
That's it for now!
Ex.
So where does this summer's horror duo come into play.
Poltergeist is a remake of a classic horror film.
With easily one of the most memorable theme songs of all time.
The credited director is Tobe Hooper.... buuuuut really it was directed by Steven Spielberg.
So before we go any further we have to go in knowing that this isn't going to be as good as the original.
That said it's above average but more or less forgettable. Don't get me wrong it's worth the watch but if there was no original poltergeist and this film stood on it's own I doubt it would get as much Press as it did.
The movie still gets a lot right. It builds the characters of the family and lets you know them as people and you're honestly concerned about them. Sam Rockwell is clearly giving it his all, bringing so much character to a role that would have never come through with a lessor actor. I also thought it was interesting that it spent more time developing the character of the little brother as well as the Ghost Expert they call in. I also like that they invented new scares and put them in different places because the movie is smart enough to know that we've mostly likely seen the original.
The downside is it feels like this movie is rushing. Because it follows the beats of the original I kept comparing it to that, and 80's horror movies has such a different pace then modern horror. We like cheap thrills, get us in, make us scream, get us out. The original movie, much like Jaws, Jurassic Park, The Exorcist, or Halloween, is a slow burn and focuses on ambiance and storytelling. They focus on being more thrilling than scary. This movie feels pretty rushed at points.
 |
| They certainly made the clown creepier, I'll give them that |
Overall it's a good watch. But trust me you have to view it as a separate film and it's own thing. It has some solid scares, and is a fun horror film. It's absolutely worth a rental.
Now speaking of things that take liberally from the OG Poltergeist.
If we're talking spiritual successor to Poltergeist. I think the original Insidious was probably the best evolution of that story. And while some people hated it, I thought Insidious 2 was a fantastic sequel.
But what about the 3rd film in the franchise.
I'm a huge fan of this mythology, especially its theme music. Seriously it's like a violin is moaning in agony. Try listening to this alone in the Dark.
This movie us fun, but it's unfortunately a shadow of it's previous two films but it's still very creepy. It sets up great ambiance and it's terrifying at points. What I love about these films is that they do so much with so little.
They don't use huge CG effects, or smoke monsters or anything. They just flash an image of a man standing in the corner or the sounds of footsteps when someone thinks their alone. It's incredibly effective what you can do with lighting, shadows, and skulking dark figures.
This story is a prequel involving one of the strongest parts of the series, Elise played by Lin Shaye.
Elise is the spiritual expert. She acts as a guide to the main characters in the first two films. She acts as a sort or ray of sunshine when the family is in a really dark place. You just have to love her character, she's so dedicated and nobel yet so approachable and charismatic.
At this point in her life she's given up being a medium because it's just getting too dangerous for her. And I'm guessing in an attempt to build on their audience they introduce... cute teenagers!!!
Stephanie Scott plays Quinn, a young girl who tries to make contact with her recently past mother. Though she wanted to reach her mother, something else, something evil responds.
While the movie had some great ambiance and scary moments, it also drags at points as well. It doesn't stand alone as well as the first two did, and it could have used more Lin Shaye!!!
Both Stephanie and her father (Dermot Mulroney) do a great job in the movie but they don't have enough to do.
Also the new threat isn't quite as well rounded as the other threats from past movies. All three movies prominently feature The Black Bride.
A malevolent spirit they refer to as a parasite.
And then there's the Lipstick Face Demon
Who was the main threat in the first and was hinted at in the other two.
Both of these characters were more interesting and scarier than the new one.
To be honest the creature in this one is pretty terrifying in the beginning of the film, but without giving too much away the ending of the film kinda defuses him as a threat. Personally, as scary as a ghost is, demons are just more threatening to me.
I think that if they're going to do more films they should consider deepening the mythology. Who says it's just ghosts and demons in the further. What if there are even more insidious things lurking out there.
This film was a step above most horror flicks because of the specific Insidious style, and because I love the series. But outside of that, its not a super memorable ghost story. It's absolutely worth the watch and it's fun, but it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors.
That's it for now!
